10 Family-Friendly National Parks to Enjoy Camping Season (pick one of the interesting headlines from latest/popular blog posts section to promote camping with kids)
10 Family-Friendly National Parks to Enjoy Camping Season (pick one of the interesting headlines from latest/popular blog posts section to promote camping with kids) - Hidden Gems in Glacier National Park for Beginner Campers
Glacier National Park is one of the crown jewels of the National Park system, offering jagged mountain peaks, pristine lakes, and abundant wildlife. While the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road and trails like Grinnell Glacier draw crowds, there are hidden gems in Glacier perfect for beginner campers and families.
One such spot is the lightly-traveled North Fork region. Camp at tranquil sites like Quartz Creek Campground, with just 20 sites nestled along the babbling creek. Set amid larch and spruce, it makes a peaceful basecamp for day hikes to Cerulean Falls or walks along the river. Wildlife sightings of moose, deer, and bear are common.
Another under the radar area is the west side of Glacier, near the sleepy town of Polebridge. This is grizzly bear country, so be bear aware, but trails like Huckleberry Mountain and Polebridge Loop offer breathtaking vistas without the crowds. Stay at sites like Bowman Lake Campground or rustic Home Ranch Bottoms for solitude surrounded by the rugged beauty of Glacier.
Lesser-known hikes like the Tri-Lakes Trail from Swiftcurrent Lake to Bullhead Lake connect a string of incredible teal-blue lakes. With minimal elevation gain, families can admire Glacier's famous waters without exhausting little legs. Picnic on the shores and watch for critters like pikas and marmots.
For a backcountry experience without the permit process, head to the lightly-used Kishenehn Lake Trail, reaching a sparkling alpine lake ringed by dramatic cliffs. Set up your tent anywhere along the 11-mile trail for a peaceful night under Glacier's epic starry skies.
The less visited Two Medicine region also provides plentiful options for novice campers in Glacier, whether at developed campgrounds or remote backcountry sites. Hike family-friendly trails to gushing waterfalls, kayak Two Medicine Lake, and enjoy evening programs led by knowledgeable rangers.
10 Family-Friendly National Parks to Enjoy Camping Season (pick one of the interesting headlines from latest/popular blog posts section to promote camping with kids) - Best Camping Spots Near the Grand Canyon for Stargazing
While the Grand Canyon's incredible vistas are best illuminated by the dawn and dusk light, its surroundings also provide a mesmerizing evening canvas overhead. Away from city lights, the blanket of stars along the canyon's rims and desert environs illuminate a celestial show unlike any other. For stargazers venturing beyond the park's developed inner canyon campgrounds, some special spots allow for unfettered night sky access.
North of the park, USFS sites like Desert View East offer expansive views of the canyon by day and a starry panorama by night. Situated near Desert View Watchtower at the canyon's east entrance, its remote setting provides supreme darkness for constellation gazing. Be sure to catch the moonrise framed by canyon walls, their striations accentuated in its glow. Extend your experience by attending informative ranger programs on astronomy at nearby Desert View Watchtower.
On the Hualapai Reservation just west of the canyon, forested spots like Hualapai Hilltop create a serene getaway without lengthy backcountry hikes. Along with canyon vistas, an evening here provides mesmerizing perspectives on the Milky Way from this lofty summit perch. Waking with the stars and catching the first alpenglow on canyon rock makes for a soul-stirring memory. Neskahi Park, further west, grants similar benefits in a riparian setting with the bonus of summer wildflower blooms.
10 Family-Friendly National Parks to Enjoy Camping Season (pick one of the interesting headlines from latest/popular blog posts section to promote camping with kids) - Swimming Holes and Picnic Sites at Great Smoky Mountains
The Smoky Mountains' dense forests and steep valleys work hard to conceal glittering gems beneath their canopies. With a discerning eye and adventurous spirit, one can pry away towering rhododendrons and hemlocks to unveil swimming holes filled with icy mountain runoff, perfect for reviving skin in the region's sultry summer months. Locals long ago whispered the locations of their favorite secret cascades and deep rock plunges to their comrades, spots now best left untouched so future nature-lovers may discover magic of their own.
Venturing down moss-lined trails strewn with fiddlehead ferns and bladder Fern, the sounds of gurgling water grow nearer until parting foliage reveals Pool Branch Falls' cascading plunge pool nestled in its own private cove. Whether wading in its refreshingly cold waters or sunning on primordial slabs of exposed granite, the surrounds transport one to a simpler time. Further along the AT, nearby Chimney Tops picnic area presents mountain vistas through manicured opening while elk Bark Picnic Area invites laying out a spread among cinnamon ferns and birches draped in Spanish moss. Both offer easy access for those weary of hiking yet craving the peaceful solitude and natural beauty the Smokies have to offer.
10 Family-Friendly National Parks to Enjoy Camping Season (pick one of the interesting headlines from latest/popular blog posts section to promote camping with kids) - Cycling Trails and Beach Camping at Acadia National Park
Two wheels and waterfront camping combine for quintessential summer fun amidst Acadia National Park’s breathtaking coastal scenery. With over 45 miles of carriage roads originally built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., cycling here makes for a memorable way to experience the majesty of Maine’s rocky headlands and woodland trails. Gliding by pristine lakes and ponds, families can pedal at their own pace, stopping frequently for picnics and swimming. Well-maintained gravel paths traverse gentle grades accessible to riders of all skill levels.
A nice introductory loop is the Witch Hole Pond route, a relatively flat 9-mile ride featuring scenic ponds and ocean overlooks. It’s an easy pedal for kids, with plenty of room to roam safely off-road. More experienced cyclists can challenge themselves on the grueling Eagle Lake loop, taking on its steep hills and tight corners through dense forests.
Leave the bikes behind and cool off with a dip at Sand Beach, plunging into the bracing 45-degree Atlantic waters. Afterwards, stroll the Ocean Path for cliff-top views over pounding surf as kitesurfers catch air against a backdrop of granite peaks.
Cap off days of activity at one of the park’s seasonal campgrounds, like Blackwoods or Seawall, where campers stroll from site to tent with stunning ocean panoramas. Nothing beats an evening perched in an Adirondack chair at water’s edge, watching the glowing sunset give way to flickering campfires, smores, and starry nights. It’s camping at its finest, with sites booked months in advance.
Those seeking a more secluded overnight experience can ferry to isolated island sites like Duck Harbor Campground on Isle au Haut, situated in a protected cove with easy access to coastal trails and pocket beaches. Or take the once-daily ferry out to Baker Island, where rustic lean-tos and platform tents dot the ledges above teeming tidepools.
10 Family-Friendly National Parks to Enjoy Camping Season (pick one of the interesting headlines from latest/popular blog posts section to promote camping with kids) - Hawaiian Culture and Volcanoes at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Mahalo for the opportunity to share more about Hawaiian culture and the wondrous volcanoes of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Upon arriving at this sacred place, one feels the presence of Pele, goddess of fire and volcanoes who makes Kilauea her home. Here, the Kumulipo chant tells the Hawaiian creation story through volcanic activity and tells of how life continually emerges from layers of hardened lava.
Walking the park's trails transports visitors back in time through exposed lava flows of varying ages. Twisted cords of pahoehoe reveal intricate textures frozen in place as they oozed across the land. The black sands of Halemaʻumaʻu crater glow ethereally with steaming fumes rising from deep within Earth. Venturing further brings one to Kīlauea Iki's crater rim, where gazing down upon its verdant floor challenges perception of what life can thrive in such harsh environs.
To truly absorb this landscape's spiritual power, consider joining a ranger hike beside trusted kumu (teachers) to learn ancestral practices of honu Honu and limu gathering. Under storied trees serving as wayfinders between this world and Papa and Wakea's realm, pause to reflect on humankind's responsibility as kiaʻi (guardians) of this sacred ʻāina. Along narrow backcountry trails, spot native ʻōhiʻa flowering among twisted ʻaʻā folds and listen for elusive ʻapapane and ʻamakihi singing amidst thick ʻōhiʻa lehua foliage.
10 Family-Friendly National Parks to Enjoy Camping Season (pick one of the interesting headlines from latest/popular blog posts section to promote camping with kids) - Southern Charm and Spanish Moss at Congaree National Park
Congaree National Park holds a mystique unlike any other, where Spanish moss-laden cypress trees stretching towards the heavens envelop visitors in an ethereal southern gothic charm. As South Carolina's largest intact floodplain forest, its age-old cypress-tupelo swamps and deeply layered history stir the soul.
Stepping from your vehicle upon entering this hidden gem, the air grows thick and fecund. Ancient trees stand guard along the boardwalk trails, their gnarly knees emerging from inky waters like sentinels from a long forgotten era. Gazing upward reveals how sunlight filters green and dappled through their reaching branches, as if peering into another world suspended above the forest floor. Birdcalls echo unseen amongst the ancient trunks, while indigo-tinged tannins flow silently seaward.
Moving further along elevated trails means wading waist-deep into the mystery of this subtropical eden. Cypress knees emerge from the dark waters at eccentric angles, worn smooth by time. Spanish moss drapes gracefully upon bowed branches, swaying gently with the faintest of breeze. Ancient trees bear witness here, their wrinkled bark telling untold stories over centuries. Pausing brings awareness of all that inhabits this strangest of ecosystems - from terrapins paddling leaves below to barred owls’ haunting hoots in tree tops shrouded by veil of hanging moss.